University of Stavanger: Challenge the well-known, explore the unknown

In many ways, the history of the University of Stavanger reflects the history of our city and our region. It revolves around the relationship between people and the sea. For generations our region has been nurtured by the North Sea, providing people with food, employment, revenues and growth. During the industrial age, more people moved to the city, and it started to grow. This progress was accompanied by a need for knowledge and expertise.
Teachers, nurses, engineers, social workers, hotel personnel - traditional jobs which are enquired by all modern societies.

That’s what got us going.

And then, at the end of the 1960s we discovered oil. Prospects were fuelled by huge revenues, and businesses turned eagerly towards oil. The new industry needed economists and engineers, and not least research and innovation.
The University of Stavanger is a child of the oil age, and our development reflects the time when we grew up. However, today our expertise extends further.

Today we are pioneers in societal safety. Today we possess considerable expertise in technology and health. Today we conduct research on reorganisation and sustainable energy.

So where will it all lead us?
We are strongly committed to constant interplay with the world around us.
At the University of Stavanger, we will keep our ears to the ground. Catch developments early and adapt education and research accordingly.
I envisage a university with students who are eternally inquiring, openly involved and have a thirst for knowledge and understanding.
A place where students are not driven by the thoughtless pursuit of gain, but by a reflective search for meaning and a drive to make the world a better place.

We will challenge the well-known, and explore the unknown.
By casting a watchful gaze over our surroundings, we are addressing our work in research, education and social involvement.

That is the road we’re headed on. I hope you’ll join us.

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